East Lothian community council express 'dismay' at flat blocks in new housing

A bid to build a block of flats on a new East Lothian development which has already reached capacity has been approved after planners said it would be a ‘landmark building’ for the estate.

Cruden Homes applied to build the three storey block of nine flats at the edge of the Longniddry South development which has seen 450 new homes built at the East Lothian village.

And despite planners admitting the site has already reached the approved number of housing units, they said the flats would not have enough of an impact on the surrounding infrastructure to refuse them.

Instead they said the new building would fit in to the surrounding estate while acknowledging another nine homes could also be added with another application outstanding.

Longniddry Community Council had expressed its ‘dismay’ at the addition of the flat building to the development.

In an objection to the proposal they gave a string of reasons why it should not be given the go ahead, many surrounding areas of infrastructure work which they alleged had not been carried out or was causing concern, including flood risks and dropped kerbs.

And a report by planning officers said the community council had expressed “dismay at the number of three storey flatted buildings featured in the proposals, which would not be in keeping with the area in general.”

However planners granted permission for the new flats which will be across the road from a similar block already given the go ahead.

Planners said: “In its location and seen as it would be alongside another flatted building of similar height, massing and form, the proposed three storey flatted building would not be out of keeping with the heights of the buildings already approved.

“The proposed flatted building would be a landmark building at a corner location of the housing development. It would sit comfortably alongside the other houses and flatted buildings of this part of the Longniddry South housing development.”